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Description
This striding monster with a man's body and a devil's head appeared to Blake during a séance at the house of his friend John Varley. The bloodthirsty spirit of a tiny flea—the winged creature on the floor between its legs—directs its jutting tongue toward a bowl of blood. Blake based the painting on a pencil sketch of the creature's head and may have intended the stage-like setting as an homage to Varley's astrological interests. Blake preferred his own distinctive tempera technique—labeled beneath the signature as "fresco"—for its translucency, depth, even tones, and clear contours, qualities that have altered somewhat over time.
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Description